Time for the Grape Hyacinth

(click the photos to make them larger)

I finally got a photo of this small little flowers that pop up in our lawn. Usually they just start to bloom and someone mows them down. (No names mentioned.)

They are a sign of spring around here.


Yes this is some sort of daisy in a pot and it has aphids on it.


Tiny little daffodil-like flower in my flower bed. I don't know where it came from but it made me smile as I walked by this morning. Surprises are nice.

I am going to be looking forward to focusing on garden flowers for the next term. The Handbook of Nature Study has a whole section for me to read and learn from.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Early Daffodils and the Handbook of Nature Study

"When the flowerstalk first appears, it comes up like a sheathed sword, pointing toward the zenith, green, veined lengthwise, and with a noticeable thickening at each edge."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 550

"As the petals grow, the sheath begins to round out; the stiff stem at the base of the sheath bends at right angles. This brings a strain upon the sheath which bursts it, usually along the upper side, although sometimes it tears it off completely at the base."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 550

"The stalk is a strong green tube; the leaves are fleshy and are grooved on the inner side. At the base the groove extends part way around the flowerstalk."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 550

"The daffodil, jonquil, and narcissus are very closely related, and quite similar. They all come from bulbs which should be planted in September; but after the first planting, they will flower on year after year, bringing much brightness to the gardens in the early spring."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 551

On pages 549-552 of the Handbook of Nature Study, you will find the introduction to daffodils and a complete lesson to study daffodils. Anna Botsford Comstock lists 15 ways to observe and learn about these common garden flowers.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom